Latest news with #Veifer
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Nurse's bombshell move after viral video
The lawyer of a nurse charged over his involvement in an anti-Semitic video says he will argue in court to have the video excluded from court proceedings. Ahmad Rashad Nadir, and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, both aged 27, made international headlines in February after a video of the pair bragging about killing Israeli patients at Bankstown Hospital, in Sydney's west went viral. Mr Nadir and Ms Abu Lebdeh arrived on Wednesday morning at the Downing Centre Local Court where their matters were heard for the first time inside a packed courtroom. Both cases were adjourned for eight weeks. Their bail is to continue and they will return to court on May 13. Mr Nadir's lawyer Zemarai Khatiz told reporters outside court that he would 'intend to argue for the video to be excluded from court', citing 'legal and technical grounds'. Mr Khatiz alleges the video was captured 'without the consent and knowledge' of his client. 'So, he'll be defending the charges on several legal and technical grounds,' Mr Khatiz later told NewsWire. 'We will be challenging the admissibility of the video recording because it was a private conversation which was recorded by the person overseas without my client's consent and without his knowledge. That video recording was made secretly overseas and was unlawfully obtained.' Mr Khatiz also confirmed his client would be pleading not guilty. People shielded Ms Abu Lebdeh from the media scrum on all sides as she walked into the courthouse. Ms Abu Lebdeh is charged with threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill and using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend. Mr Nadir has been charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and possessing a prohibited drug. Both nurses were stood down by NSW Health as soon as they were identified. In the two-and-a-half minute video recorded by Israeli influencer Max Veifer, the nurses threaten to kill Israelis who came to the hospital. Mr Veifer often uses Chatruletka and Omegle, online platforms that pair users in random video chats, to expose instances of anti-Semitism and also to learn English. 'Ahh,' Mr Nadir says. 'I'm gonna be really honest with you, you've actually got really, really beautiful eyes. 'But I'm so upset that you're Israeli … eventually you're gonna get killed and you're gonna go to Jahannam (hell). But those pretty eyes, they should stay in this world for longer.' The exchange quickly gets heated as Mr Veifer explains he served in the IDF (Israeli Defence Force). A woman's voice can then be heard off camera saying: 'you killed innocent people'. The woman's voice continues: 'So you kill innocent people to protect your country? What kind of soul do you have? You have no soul.' Mr Veifer then asked the pair: 'How are you doctors?' Abu Lebdeh then allegedly told Mr Veifer she wanted him to 'remember my face so you can understand that you will die the most disgusting death'. Mr Veifer then begins to ask 'Let's say an Israeli, God forbid …' 'I won't treat them, I'll kill them,' Ms Abu Lebdeh says. 'Not God forbid, I hope to God.' 'You'll kill them?' Mr Veifer is heard asking. Mr Nadir then said: 'OK you have no idea how many Israeli haram dogs came to this hospital and (makes throat slitting motion) I send them to Jahannam.' 'For real? If just Jewish people comes (sic) there …' Mr Veifer begins before the chat ends. Following the identification of Mr Nadir in February, Strike Force Pearl raided his home and seized a number of items. Mr Nadir was taken to hospital a few hours later over mental health concerns. Lifeline: 13 11 14 (call), 0477 131 114 (text) or Blue: 1300 224 636 or violence support: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Assault Crisis Line: 1800 806 292 or Helpline: 1800 551 800 or Australia: 1300 789 978Other tips about mental health and wellbeing can be found at
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nurses suspended after viral video threatening to kill Israeli man: Australia Health Department
Two Sydney nurses who threatened on camera to kill an Israeli man and other Jewish people in their care were identified and immediately suspended from practicing. The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care announced in a statement on Thursday that the Nursing and Midwifery Council of New South Wales (NSW) suspended the registrations of registered nurses Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, effective immediately. Nadir and Lebdeh, who initially claimed they were doctors while donning scrubs, threatened Israeli influencer Max Veifer on an international video chat website called Chatrouletka. Australian Healthcare Workers Threaten Israeli Man, Claim To Have Killed Jews In Their Care On Camera After asking Veifer about his nationality, Lebdeh said "it's Palentine's country, not your country you piece of s---," according to the video. She proceeded to tell Veifer "when the time comes, I want you to remember my face, so you can understand that you will die the most disgusting death." Read On The Fox News App Nadir chimed in and they both said they would not treat Veifer and would kill him if he came to their hospital. "You have no idea how many Israelis came to this hospital and…," Nadir said, while sliding his arm across his neck in a throat-slashing motion. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency automatically updated their record on the public register of practitioners, making the two Bankstown Hospital nurses unable to practice nursing anywhere in Australia, in any context. "The idea that you would single out a particular group in our community and indicate you wouldn't care for them, let alone actively threaten their lives, runs against every single principle in our health care system," the health department wrote in the statement. Jewish Children, Teens Violently Attacked In London: 'Streets Are No Longer Safe' Officials said "their sickening comments – and the hatred that underpins them – have no place in our health system and no place anywhere in Australia." The department added Australians have a right to feel safe wherever they go and "nowhere should be safer" than a hospital. "Health workers have a solemn duty to treat and heal everyone who comes before them needing help," according to the statement. "The overwhelming majority hold to that oath." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Tuesday the pair were "rightly" referred to the NSW Police for criminal investigation. "Individuals found to have committed criminal antisemitic acts will face the full force of our laws," Albanese wrote in a post on X. "The footage is sickening and shameful." On Wednesday, Australia enacted a hate crimes bill imposing minimum mandatory penalties for certain hate-related crimes, including six years for terrorist offenses, three years for financing terrorism and one year for displaying hate symbols. Columbia Group's Antisemitic Newspaper Draws Outrage From Ny Lawmaker, As University Investigates NSW Health Minister Ryan Park claimed there was "no evidence" the nurses harmed patients in their care, but the investigation is ongoing. Lebdeh's family members spoke to various news outlets claiming she was "baited" and that she was "sorry," the New York Post reported. Israel's biggest newspaper, Israel Hayom, seemingly responded to the remarks with a story titled, "Sorry, not sorry," and accused the two nurses of minimizing the incident, according to the report. Sharren Haskel, deputy minister of foreign affairs of the state of Israel, posted on X, commending Australian officials for their response, and calling the pair "racist." "Thank you, @ChrisMinnsMP for your swift and decisive action against the racist nurses who threatened to kill Jews. Your dedication and efforts in combating antisemitism over the past month are commendable, and we deeply appreciate your commitment to protecting the Jewish community of New South Wales." Haskel added there must be "zero tolerance" for racism and antisemitism and noted threats must be met with "the full force of the law." A synagogue was firebombed in Melbourne on Dec. 6, which authorities are now investigating as a likely terrorist attack. Other reports indicate cars have been set aflame and buildings have been vandalized in Sydney Jewish article source: Nurses suspended after viral video threatening to kill Israeli man: Australia Health Department
The Guardian
14-02-2025
- The Guardian
Sydney nurse who allegedly threatened Israeli patients taken to hospital as ‘unedited' video released
A nurse at the centre of a video chat showing two New South Wales hospital workers allegedly making anti-Israeli threats to an Israeli influencer has been taken to hospital due to 'welfare concerns', police say. The influencer, Max Veifer, on Friday released what he said was the 'unedited version' of the video involving two Bankstown hospital nurses. NSW police, meanwhile, said emergency services were called to a Bankstown home on Thursday night 'following reports of a concern for welfare'. 'A 27-year-old man was taken to hospital for assessment,' a spokesperson said in a statement on Friday. 'No further information is available.' Police said on Thursday they spoke with the Israeli influencer who they said had agreed to provide investigators with an unedited version of the video chat. In a statement on Friday, police said they were aware an extended version had been posted online, 'however nothing has been directly provided to NSW Police'. 'Discussions between NSW Police and the influencer remain open and ongoing.' The shorter video posted to Instagram by Veifer earlier this week attracted widespread political condemnation, with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, condemning the footage as 'sickening and shameful'. Veifer posted a two-minute video on Friday with the caption: 'The police are asking me for the unedited version. I have nothing to hide. Here it is and if they tell me where to send it I will send it to them.' The video begins with the male nurse, Ahmad Rashad Nadir, and Veifer greeting each other. When Veifer says he is from Israel, Nadir replies: 'I'm going to be really honest with you. You've actually got really, really beautiful eyes, but I'm so upset that you're Israeli. Eventually, you're going to get killed and you're going to go to Jahannam [hell]'. Veifer responds: 'Why do you think I'm going to get killed? Maybe because I served in the IDF?' Nadir replies: 'That's definitely the answer, correct.' Veifer then states 'that's the reason, I served in the IDF, what is the problem with that?' to which the female nurse, Sarah Abu Lebdeh, speaks offscreen for the first time stating: 'Because you killed innocent people that's why.' 'I was protecting my country,' Veifer responds. Abu Lebdeh asks: 'So you kill innocent people to protect your country? What kind of soul do you have?' The NSW health minister, Ryan Park, launched an investigation on Wednesday after the edited video was published. Park identified the pair as nurses from Bankstown hospital. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, said on Thursday the Nursing and Midwifery Council of NSW had suspended both nurses' registrations. 'Australians have a right to feel safe wherever they go and nowhere should be safer than a hospital,' Butler said. 'Their sickening comments – and the hatred that underpins them – have no place in our health system and no place anywhere in Australia.' Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Veifer told Sky News on Wednesday night he 'created content' using online video chats where he worked to 'expose people'. 'I was talking with these two nurses … and as soon as they found out I am from Israel they started cursing me and threatening me – that they are going to kill me and never going to treat Israeli patients at their hospital,' he said of the edited exchange he released online. 'I was shocked. It's insane that so far away in Australia the hate has gotten so far. I was shocked but I had a mission to accomplish. I had to expose them, so I had to stay calm and get as much info as I can so I can post it and show my people and we can find them.' The NSW police commissioner, Karen Webb, told ABC radio on Thursday that officers had interviewed staff at Bankstown hospital, obtained CCTV footage, and had spoken with the influencer in Israel who agreed to provide the unedited version of the video. Webb said investigators had also spoken to the solicitors representing the two nurses regarding the alleged 'hate crime'. Mohamad Sakr, a solicitor representing Nadir, said on Wednesday his client had sincerely apologised to the individual in question and the broader Jewish community. 'He understands what has happened, he is trying to make amends,' Sakr said. Rayan Kadadi, a solicitor representing Abu Lebdeh, said in a statement: 'As you can all appreciate this is a very emotional and distressing time for my client and her family.' 'Given there is a pending investigation it will be inappropriate to make any further comment,' Kadadi said. Neither nurse has been charged over the video. In the video, Veifer asks the nurses what they would do if an Israeli were to come to their hospital. Abu Lebdeh responds: 'I won't treat them, I will kill them.' Nadir says: 'You have no idea how many [Israelis] came to this hospital, and I sent them to Jahannam [hell]. I literally sent them to Jahannam.'
Los Angeles Times
13-02-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Australian hospital examines patient records after nurse claims to have killed Israelis
MELBOURNE — An Australian hospital is examining patient records after a nurse claimed online to have killed Israelis, officials said, stressing that no evidence of harm to patients was uncovered. The claim appears to have been the latest in a surge of antisemitic attacks and rhetoric that has roiled Australia as homes, offices and businesses have been vandalized and a school and two synagogues were torched in just over a year with crimes targeting Jews. A police strike force, established to focus on the antisemitic crimes in Sydney since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023, was investigating potential offenses stemming from the online video, including breaches of hate speech law, New South Wales state Health Minister Ryan Park said. Hate crime officials in Sydney and Melbourne — the nation's largest cities, where 85% of Australia's Jewish population lives — are separately investigating the discovery of a trailer containing explosives, a list of potential Jewish targets and arson attacks on two synagogues. Two nurses who took part in an online discussion with Israeli influencer Max Veifer during a night shift on Tuesday at Sydney's Bankstown Hospital were suspended Wednesday, and Park said they would never work for the state health department again. 'They are vile, disgusting and deranged individuals,' Park told reporters. Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, asserted that there has been increasing extremism among Australia's medical professionals toward Sydney's Jewish community. 'For months, I've been hearing from medical practitioners in the community who have been warning about extreme content posted by other doctors and nurses online,' Ryvchin told Network 10 television, adding that this was not the work of 'isolated individuals.' 'This is merely the tip of the iceberg,' he added. Authorities responded within hours after the video of the nurses, a man and woman who have not been named, was posted online. Attempts to directly contact the nurses were unsuccessful, and Veifer did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Veifer is a right-wing activist from Israel who uses recordings of video conversations with random users around the world to publicize his English language courses. He has had a few viral videos in which he attempts to catch people making anti-Israel statements during their conversations. In an interview with Israel's right-wing Channel 14 last month, Veifer said he was making the videos to reveal antisemitism and anti-Israeli sentiment in the world. In the video, the two nurses purported to be doctors, according to department secretary Susan Pearce. There was no immediate information from their supervisors. The female nurse said she wouldn't treat an Israeli patient but would kill them, while the male nurse used expletives and a throat-slitting gesture. Park, the regional health minister, said an investigation into Bankstown Hospital has found no evidence of Jewish patients being hurt. 'To the Jewish community today, I say not only am I sorry, but I can assure you this: The care that you get in our hospitals will continue to be first class,' Park said, adding that the hospital's past record would also be examined. McGuirk writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
NBC News
13-02-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Two nurses in Australia suspended for reportedly making antisemitic comments
SYDNEY — Two nurses in a Sydney hospital have been suspended from work for threatening to kill Jewish patients and refusing to treat them in a video on TikTok, triggering an investigation by police, authorities said Wednesday. The video was shared by a TikTok user named Max Veifer, who says he is from Israel, and shows him talking to a man and woman wearing medical scrubs. 'I'm so upset that you're Israeli ... eventually you're going to get killed and go to (hell),' the man in medical scrubs said, after Veifer mentioned he is from Israel in a video chat. When asked why he would be killed, the woman in medical scrubs said: 'It's Palestine's country, not your country' and used an obscenity. The woman said she would not treat any Jewish patients and instead kill them. The man, with a threatening gesture, said he had already sent many Israelis, who visited the hospital, to 'Jahannam,' the term for Islamic hell in Arabic. Reuters could not independently verify the footage and it was not immediately clear if the full video of the conversation had been uploaded by the user. Some of the woman's words have been beeped out in the video. Reuters could not immediately contact the two nurses. New South Wales state Health Minister Ryan Park said the nurses have been 'stood down immediately,' pending an investigation. 'Obviously, the investigative process now takes place. I do not want to leave a sliver of light to allow any of them to be able to think that they will ever work for New South Wales Health again,' Park told reporters. New South Wales state police said its antisemitic task force is investigating a social media video depicting alleged health workers making antisemitic threats. Police said the individuals involved were now assisting detectives. Veifer, who regularly posts videos mostly about the Middle East on TikTok, has 102,000 followers and his videos have been liked by 4.2 million users. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Australian federal police has offered 'whatever assistance' to New South Wales state police. 'I have seen this antisemitic video. It's driven by hate and it's disgusting. The comments are vile, the footage is sickening and it is shameful,' Albanese said in parliament. Australia has seen an escalating series of attacks on synagogues, buildings and cars since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, raising fear among Australia's nearly 115,000 Jewish people.
